Car-coupling



(No Model.) l 2 sheetsheet 1.

E. W. KELLEY. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 513,019. Y Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

(No Model'.) 2 sheets-sheet 2,.

E. W`. KBLLBY.

GAR OOUPLING.

N0. 513,019. Patented Jan.- 16, 1894` UNITED STATES PATENT erica.

oAR-coUPLINc.

SPEQIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,019, dated January'16, 189.4.

Application iiled March 22, 1893. Serial No. 467,211. (No vmodel.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. KELLEY, of Lowell, county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Oar-Couplings,of which the following description, l1n connection with the accompanyingdrawln gs, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an automatic oarcoupler possesslng great strength and durability, impact of thedraw-heads of the cars to be coupled positively moving the swinginghooks into closed or coupled position, means being provided forautomatically locking the hooks when so closed.

Devices accessible from the top or sides of the car are provided forreleasing the lookin g means, to thereby permit the swinging hooks toresume their normal or open position, thereby automatically uncouplingthe cars.

In accordance therewith, my invention con# sists in the combination witha draw-head having an external shoulder, of a swinging coupling hookpositivelyI moved by thedrawhead of another car into engagement Withashoulder thereon, and an automatic locking device to directly co-operatewith and retain said hook in closed position in engagement with theshoulderof the other draw-head, substantially as will be described;also, the" combination with a draw-head having an external shoulder, ofa swinging coupling hook positively moved by the draw-head of anothercar into engagement with a shoulder thereon, and an automatic lockingdevice to directly co-operate with and retain said hook in closedposition in engagement with the shoulder of the other draw-head, and acushion for said hook, substantially as will'be described.

Other features 'of my invention will be hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a top View of two draw-heads withmy invention appliedthereto, about to be coupled. Fig.2 is an inner side elevation of one ofthe cotipling hooks detached. Fig. 3 is a front view of one of thedraw-heads shown in Fig. i, and Fig. 4 is an end View of a car with myinvention applied thereto.y

I have herein shown the head of the draw bar A as provided with alateral enlargement v a having a seat therein to receive the hub b ofacoupling hook, a pin or bolt cx retaining the hook in placev andforming a pivot on which it swings, said hook having a shank b and vatransversely extended head b2, the inner face bx of the head beingslightly concaved, as shown.l A a shoulder b3, see, Figs. 2 and 3, anddotted lines Fig. l, radiallyrecessed at its top and periphery atc, saidrecess having a curved inner wall c', for a purpose to be described, theforward end c2 of the shoulder adjacent the base of the shank projectingbeyond th face of the draw-head, as in Fig. l.V f

The hub of the hook has A spring s, see dotted lines Fig. l, preferablyaflat corrugated strip of spring metalis retained in the seat in theenlargement a of the drawhead,between its end wall a2 and the rear endof the shoulder b3, the expansive force of the spring keeping the hooknormally in the open position shown in Fig. l, ready to be coupled. Theopposite side of the drawhead is provided with a shoulder c havingaconvex rear face a3, adjacent toa recessed portion a4.

-An irregular recess or seat the top of the draw-head, see Figsl and 3,to receive a locking dog d', pivotally supported on a pin d2, insertedthrough a hole d", best shown bydotted lines, Fig. l, drilled in thedraw-head from its face. j The front portion of said dog is inclinedwith relation to its pivot d2, and is substantially radial to the pivotof the swinging hook, in order that said dog will readily drop into therecess c of the shoulder b3 when the hook is moved into position tocouple. It will be remembered that the inner wall c' of said recess iscurved, as best shown in Fig.v 2, and the outer end d3 of the dog iscorrespondingly curved, both curves having the pivot d? as their center,so that the dog will freely enter andV vleave the locking recess c. Theunder face d4 of said dog, see Fig. 3, r'estson the top of the shoulderb3 when the hook is in its normal open position, but when the draw-headsof the two cars come together the projecting end c2 of the shoulder b3of each hook'is pushed in by the opposite draw-head, turning the hooksin the direction of the arrows 20, Fig. l, untilthe heads b2 en` ter thelrecesses a4, the inner'faces b of thel dis formed in IOC a. At the sametime such movement of the shoulders bihas brought the recesses c belowthe lockingdogs d', and the latter fall into place, locking the hooks inclosed position.

It will be noticed that the strain upon the coupling is exerted alonglines extended through the hookpivots d* and the shoulders a of thedraw-heads, and that the strain exerted upon the locking dog of eachcoupler is consequently only that due to the force of the spring s, theonly function of the dog being to lock the hooks in closed positionagainst the forcefof said springs. Thedraw-heads are held together onboth sidesof their center, as is evident, and the recesses d4 givesuiicient play `of' the parts in rounding curves, dsc. Impactof thedraw-heads moves the hooks positively and automatically into couplingposition,ai1d they are also automatically locked therein, the springsacting as cushions for the hooks, andpreventing rebound thereof from theopposite draw-head.

lTouncouple the cars the dogs are withdrawn from the recesses c by`mechanism to be-described, and the expansive' force of the springscauses the hook, so released, to quickly swing` outward andfroinengagement with theshoulder a of the `opposite draw-head, and each dogmust be withdrawn before the cars are completely uncoupled. Each dog isprovided with an over-haiiging arm e, preferablyweighted at its outerend, asm at e,see Fig. 4, to increase the rapidity of movement ofv thedog into the locking recess c, and a rodL e? ispivoted to said arm andextended upwardly toward the top of the car, being retained in positionby a suitable guide e3. Vlien the cars are brought together the hooksare swung inwardly,as described, land the dogsdrop into the recesses c,the 4rod moving longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 30,1Fig. 4.The upper end ofthe rod is uprovided withasuitablehandle e4, andthe'cars may be uncoupled when the brakemanis on the' -top thereof byraising Vthe handle, lifting the'dog from the recess and releasing itshook.j

In order to uncouple` from` the side `of the carl have provided leversf, f pivoted at f X,` f X, near opposite sides of the car, the innerendsofsaid levers being herein shownas pro-,` Videdwith slotsf2,"f3,rtov be entered by a pin or stud ex, `on the ro`d'e2. When the cars arecoupled the handles of said' levers will be moved outward, and movementof either handle `into the position shown in Fig. 4: will4 elevate therod e2 and thereby withdraw the dog,

*From the foregoing it will be seen that the" cars coupleautomatically,by mere impact of the draw-heads, that they are then automati-A callylocked, and that the manual release Vof the locking mechanism effectsthe uncoupling automatically, said manual release being con-`trolledfromthe top or side of the car, so that thepresence of a`brakeman or the operator between the cars tocouple-.oruncoupleisentirely` unnecessary.

To provide means for using my improved coupling as an ordinarylinkandpincouplingl have vrecessed the draw-head rearwardly from its face, asat hysee full lines Figs. 3 and 4, and dotted lines Fig. l, to receive alink of usual construction, said link being retained in place by a boltor pin dropped into a vertical hole h therefor, intersecting the recess.

h. As best shown in Fig. 1, the holes h are substantially in the centralline of the drawlieads, such location being preferable on ac count ofthe central positionof a link as held in an ordinary coupler, and alsoavoiding a lateral strain upon the said link.

`In order that coupling pins may be carried in the holes 71,', withoutinterfering with the swinging hooks, I have'recessed the shoulder b3thereof from' top to bottom, as at 7.,; thereby permitting the shoulderto .move freely past the pin. The shoulder is also .slotted transverselyat h2, `below the lockingwrecess c, see Fig. 2, the slot It? beinga'continuation of the slot h in the draw-head, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4,to provide` room' for` the` `insertion of a link when necessary.'[helheads b2 of the hooks are of `suiicient length from top 4to bottomto laccommodate'cars of` diiferent heights.

This invention isnot restrictedfto the exact Shape and arrangementof,parts asl herein shown and described, -asithe same may` be modifiedor changed without departing from the spirit and scope ofi`mywinvention.

` 1. The combination-withga drawliead having an external shoulder, offaswinging coupling hook positivelymoved lby the'draw-head of another carinto engagement withasliouulder thereon, and an automatic `lockingdeviceto `directly cooperate with and, retain isaid hook in closed position inengagement with the shoulder of the other draw-headubstantially asdescribed.

,2. The combination withiadraw-head having an external shouldenofaswinging coupling hook Apositively moved by the .draw-head of anothercar intoengagement with a shoulder thereon, and an automatic lockingdevice `to directly co-operate with `aiidretainsaid l hook in closedposition in engagement `with 1 the shoulder of theother draw-head,.an'd.a `cushion for said hook, substantially as 1dei scribed.

3. The combination with aditaw-headhavl ing axed shoulder, of a swinging:coupling hook pivoted to said draw-headand adapted to positively engagethe'shoulder of another f di'aW--headpa recess in said hook,and.a swinging locking dog pivoted to the draw-head to :enter said recess when thehook `is iniclosed iposition and retain it in such position, subistantiallyasdescribed. i l

4. The combination with adrawheadhaw ,ingfa shoulder upon one side.thereof,alater `'ally swinging radially recessed couplinghook `adaptedto engage a similarshoulder onxithe drawihead of another ear, andapivotallysupported automatic locking dog to cooperate with said recess,of manually operated means to turn upon its pivot and withdrawsaid dogand thereby release the hook, substantially as described.

5. rlhe combination with the recessed drawhead, a swinging coupling hookhaving a radial recess, and a spring to act directly upon and normallymaintain said hook open, of an automatic locking dog pivoted in therecess in the draw-head and to co-operate with the radial recess whenthe hook is closed against the action of the spring, strain upon the dogbeing due only to said spring, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a draw-head having a shoulder upon one sidethereof, of a normally inoperative coupling hook pivoted at its oppositeside, a projecting actuating portion of the base of the hook normallyeX- tending beyond the face of the draw-head, pressure thereonpositively moving the hook into operative position to engage the similarshoulder of another draw-head, means to automatically lock the hook insuch position, and a spring to turn the hook when unlocked,substantially as described.

7. In an automatic car coupling, a drawhead having a shoulder, a springcontrolled swinging coupling hook adapted to engage the shoulder of anopposite draw-head, and means for positively moving said hook by theopposite drawhead into coupling position and v against the action of andto be cushioned by said spring, combined with a locking device forretaining said hook in engagement with the shoulder, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an automatic car coupling, t-he combination with a draw-head, of aswinging coupling hook pivoted thereto, means to normally maintain said'hook open, an automatic locking device to engage and retain said hookclosed when moved into coupling position, and means to disengage saidlocking device manually and thereby permit the hook to swing out touncouple the cars, substantially as described. l

9. In an automatic car coupling, a drawhead, a swinging coupling hook atone side thereof, and a shoulder at the other side, combined with aradial recess in said shoulder,a locking dog to automatically enter saidrecess and hold said hook in closedvposition, said draw-head having alink recess therein between the hook and shoulder, and a pin hole,substantially as described.

10. A draw-head having a recess, a swinging coupling hooklpivoted insaid recess and provided with a shoulder, and a co-operating locking dogand recess to hold the hook in closed position, combined with a springin the recess of the draw-head between its end and the rear end of theshoulder, substantially as described.

1l. A draw-head, a swinging coupling hook provided with a recess, and alocking dog adapted to enter said recess when the hook is closed,combined with an actuating arm for said dog, and connections between itand the top or sides of the car, to manually remove said dog from therecess, to release the hook, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD W. KELLEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. OWENS, JAMES A. SULLIVAN.

